Six museums affected by union's Bank Holiday weekend strikes
- Published
Museum staff gathered outside the Swansea's National Waterfront Museum on Saturday
Six of Wales' national museums are shut or partially closed this weekend as staff strike in a dispute over changes to pay.
Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union are against plans to stop extra payments paid to weekend and bank holiday staff.
A National Museum Wales spokeswoman apologised for strike disruption.
She said a 6% salary rise for low-paid workers and a living wage of 拢7.85 an hour would mitigate the loss.
She added: "Like most other public sector organisations, we are operating within a reduced budget and are being forced to plan for even more cuts.
"Therefore, we have no choice but to review premium payments that currently cost the organisation around 拢800,000 a year.
The protest in Swansea also included PCS members from the DVLA and RMT members of First Great Western who are also striking
"Our staff are very important to us and we remain committed to protecting jobs as much as possible within the resources available to us."
The strike is affecting six of National Museum Wales' sites with Swansea's National Waterfront Museum, the National Slate Museum in Llanberis, Gwynedd, and the National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre, Carmarthenshire, closed on Saturday.
St Fagans National History Museum and National Museum Cardiff are open on Saturday but with limited services.
Big Pit National Coal Museum in Blaenavon, Torfaen, is shut Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Meanwhile, PCS union members at the DVLA in Swansea began a three-day strike on Friday over Saturday pay.
First Great Western rail staff are also on strike in a dispute over the introduction of new high-speed trains.
A small gathering took place outside the National Slate Museum in Llanberis, Gwynedd
- Published22 July 2015
- Published1 August 2015
